Chase Elliott entered the NASCAR Next-Gen era with a promising start, capturing multiple race victories and securing the 2022 Regular Season championship. However, his momentum took a sharp turn following a snowboarding accident in 2023 that forced him to miss six races. Since then, Elliott has struggled to find his winning rhythm, finishing the year without a single win and managing only one victory in the 2024 season, despite some consistent top-10 finishes.
Meanwhile, challengers within his own team and beyond have surged ahead. Teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron have dominated many races, while Alex Bowman has also delivered strong performances. In comparison, Wood Brothers Racing, one of the sport’s veteran teams, has managed more wins than Elliott since the start of 2023, intensifying the pressure on the No. 9 driver to perform.
Senior NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi recently highlighted this surprising statistic during his podcast, emphasizing the unusual nature of Elliott’s current position.
We need to have a Chase Elliott conversation. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Wood Brothers have more wins than Chase Elliott does. That’s crazy to think about. That’s no disrespect to the Wood Brothers; that’s just the reality of the situation,
Bianchi said.
They have two wins. Chase Elliott has one points win since the start of the 2023 season. That’s crazy to think about.
As the 2025 season progresses, the pattern remains largely unchanged. Elliott and his team continue to grind out respectable top-10 finishes, but none of these performances have suggested a return to race-winning potential. Sitting 15th in laps led this season, despite driving what many consider a dominant Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) car, Elliott’s output has fallen short of expectations. This ongoing struggle raises urgent questions about what tweaks or changes the team needs to implement to regain competitiveness.
Bianchi further analyzed,
This is again becoming a typical, what I would associate with a typical Chase Elliott year… You look at their average finish, you know, that kind of thing, and they grind out these finishes, and that’s good… but that’s not good enough for this team. You look at laps-led this year… Elliott, 15th. 45 laps-led this year. This team should be better. It needs to be better.
His words clearly echo the frustration felt by both fans and insiders alike, underscoring the gap between potential and results.
Chase Elliott himself has openly acknowledged his struggles to translate consistent performances into wins. Reflecting on the 2025 Clash victory—a promising start to the season yet not a points race win—he expressed the desire to build momentum from that success.
Obviously, I would have loved to have had more points wins. Certainly, the Clash was a great weekend for us. And while it wasn’t a points win — and I’m very much aware of that — it wasn’t like nobody was trying. For us, that was a great way to start the season, and we just have to keep building on it,
Elliott said.
These remarks reflect the somber yet determined mindset that Elliott carries into the remainder of the season. While consistent finishes keep him in the championship hunt, the absence of multiple wins weighs heavily on both the driver and the Hendrick Motorsports team. The current trajectory demands adjustments, as settling for merely consistent results will not satisfy the ambitions of one of NASCAR’s most promising talents.
The pressure intensifies with every race, as fans and analysts alike watch eagerly to see when Chase Elliott will finally reclaim his winning edge. With competitive teammates raising the bar and rivals pushing hard, the coming races will prove crucial in defining whether he can break free from this challenging slump and return to the top step of the podium.
